High Court To Consider Deadlines For Suing Gov't

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court will consider how strict deadlines should be for people to sue the federal government for negligence.

The justices agreed Monday to hear two cases where lawsuits were filed too late. In both cases, a federal appeals court ruled it was fair to let them go forward anyway. The Obama administration says Congress intended the deadlines to be firm.

One case involves a Hong Kong citizen who sued the Immigration and Naturalization Service for detaining and deporting her. Her lawsuit was filed after a 6-month deadline because she was waiting for a federal court to issue an order.

The other case alleged the Federal Highway Administration improperly installed safety barriers that caused a fatal accident. The plaintiff claims he discovered new evidence after the 2-year deadline passed.